Recently, wireless local area network (LAN) systems, as typified by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11, are becoming more prevalent instead of wired networks, because of advantages such as a high degree of freedom for equipment. Such wireless LAN systems operate in an infrastructure mode, for example, in which multiple wireless communication devices communicate via an access point.
Meanwhile, Wi-Fi Direct, formulated by the Wi-Fi Alliance, supports a direct communication mode in which multiple wireless communication devices connect directly to form a communication group. In this direct communication mode, communication is initiated after establishing a connection between wireless communication devices using Device Discovery and Formation. Note that Device Discovery is a process for discovering a nearby wireless communication device, while Formation includes processes such as a process of deciding which wireless communication device will operate as a group owner, and an authentication process (Provisioning).
There also exists a wireless communication device capable of switching between the infrastructure mode and the direct communication mode discussed above to communicate. Additionally, contactless communication over a shorter communication range than wireless communication such as wireless LAN is also becoming widespread. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a communication device equipped with a contactless communication unit that conducts contactless communication, and a wireless communication unit that conducts wireless communication.